ZAMBIAN FINANCE MINISTER RE-ASSURES FARMERS OF CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT

Zambian Finance Minister Felix Mutati has assured the country’s farmers, that the government will continue to engage stakeholders from the agriculture sector to achieve a win-win situation as it seeks to diversify the economy.

Speaking during a consultative meeting with agriculture sector stakeholders here Monday, Mutati said the government was keen to deal with the sector’s problems in order for real growth to be attained.

Mutati told the meeting the government could only collect revenue from a thriving agriculture sector. The Finance Minister was flanked by Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya and Minister of Commerce Margaret Mwanakatwe, who voiced the government’s interest to grow the sector which promises to create millions of jobs.

The three ministers met senior officials from the Tobacco Association of Zambia and the Poultry Association of Zambia Monday.

Poultry Association vice-chairperson Veronica Machungwa raised concerns over the continued imports of chicken into Zambia and called on the government to urgently deal with the situation.

Tobacco Association consultant Phonto Mumbi called on the government to give the sector a standard tax system.